About Roberta Winjum I studied art as an undergraduate at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Then to earn a living, I became a librarian, working in university libraries in Missouri, Kansas, Hawaii, and Tennessee. I currently am retired, living in Nashville. Now that I have more time to devote to artwork, I’ve rediscovered the art form I currently practice. The technique I use is called crayon batik. I melt colored wax with a candle, and drip it onto cloth. When the cloth is covered with drips and blobs of wax, I put the piece into a black dye bath, which creates the crinkle texture of the black lines. The wax is then ironed out, and finally, the piece of cloth is stretched over a regular canvas to protect it. I learned the technique as an art student, and returned to it a few years back to explore its possibilities. I do not know anyone else who practices it. I love color and nature, and using the cheerful assortment of colors in the crayon palette to depict landscapes, whether iconic scenes or just my backyard, suits me well. Flowers, trees, and landscapes are favorite starting points for my work. The lack of control over the dripping wax forces a looseness in execution that results in abstraction. In addition to traditional batik, the technique has roots in pointillism and impressionism. I work outdoors because of the lit candle and dripping, hot wax (there have been small fires!), and I like to think each piece includes not only the heat of the wax and the flame, but also a little bit of the bird songs, the sunshine, and the fresh air that surround me when I’m working.